Although women’s representation in medical schools has reached 50 percent, hospital staff is still mostly men. But at Kaplan Medical Center’s emergency department in Rehovot, all the staffers from physicians and nurses to paramedical workers, nursing students and medical clowns were female on Wednesday.The unusual scene was held to honor International Women’s Day, which will be marked on Friday.

The emergency room patients were surprised in the morning to see only women in white. The aim was to illustrate the empowerment of women in the medical field. Throughout the morning, patients of both sexes were presented with pink flowers, and staff members wore on their shirts not only a name tag but also their position, medical specialty, family status, how many children they have and their hobbies to make them seem less anonymous.Dr. Yael Dina’i, head of the emergency room, said the idea resulted from the process of women’s empowerment in healthcare. The patients, she added, learned of information on the team’s lives that usually are hidden. Dina’i stated on her name tag that she likes to hike, while the department’s nursing director Dvora Luzon said she works out regularly.

Patient Zohar Katua, a resident of Ness Ziona, saw the unusual sights and smiled at the doctor and nurse who examined him. “One can’t manage without women,” he said.

A 66-year-old Protestant from Midland, Texas, who is voluntarily renovating the pediatric pavilion at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center, surprised management on Monday with yet another gift.

Claude Jewett pledged that upon his passing, his life insurance money would be used to purchase advanced medical equipment for the hospital.

Jewett, a father of seven who recently retired from years as a US Air Force mechanic, is in the country for three weeks as part of the Friends of Israel organization together with 30 other Christian volunteers from the United States and Australia.

The Baptist, who raises money for Israel among members of his Bellevue Baptist Church, is now on his second visit to the country to work at the hospital and meet the children in the pediatrics ward. Jewett said all his children were pleased with his decision to donate posthumously to the hospital.

Prof. Etti Granot, head of Kaplan’s pediatrics division, said Jewett’s was a noble act, and he wished him good health and a long life.

Hospital director Prof. Ya’acov Yahav said the Christians’ voluntary work at the hospital warmed the heart of his medical team.

“There is no doubt that you serve as a personal example for the staffers and the patients at the hospital,” he said.

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The American Friends of the Kaplan Medical Center was incorporated in 2008 as a non-for-profit 501 (c)(3), tax-exempt organization for the purpose of representing, developing and promoting in the … [Read More...]